Apparatus for automatic periodic cleaning of straining members



S. E. E. AHLFORS APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC PERIODIC Jan. 8, 1952 CLEANING OF STRAINING MEMBERS Filed Dec. 18, 1:947

Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC PERIODIC CLEANING OF"STRAINING MEMBERS 'sten 'E'skil Eiiiai-sso'n lihlfor's, neaemora. Sweden A-pplication-Decmbn18, 194a, S'rialNo. 792,460

insweaen May ll, 1946, Y "sect'ith'1j1' iibIicfLaw 650, August 8, 1946 'Paiteritefipires May 17, 1966 (chase-es) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning of strainer members of the type commonly usedffor wet treating fibrous suspensions, particularly paper pu p- One of its objects is to provide improved apparatus for automatically and periodically cleaning such members.

Another object is to provide such'an apparatus which for its operation solely requiresconnection to a source of water under pressure.

Still another object is toprovidea cleaning'apparatus of the type referred to which the.

duration of the cleaning periods and the intervals therebetween may be adjusted by simple expedients.

The invention consists in 'th'e'novel apparatus hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed'out in the 'claims'hereunto appended.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by wa 'of 'exam'pl'eon the annexed drawing in which V Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved apparatusjth'e strainer'meimber to beflc'leanedthereby beingdiagrairimatically indi'cated bydashand dot-line's at the "bottom of "said figure.

Fig. 2 is an "end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 some components thereof "being shown by dash-lines 'to illustrate two difier'ent positions of saidco'rnpon'ehts. 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentar side elvationfof an automatic valve comm device, "for 'the sake or simplicity shown detached "fr m the "apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and '2 although associated therewith, some components of said d'evicebeing shown in dash-lines to illustrate "an alternative position of said components.

The cleaning apparatus illustrated on the drawing comprises a frame l'rnountedonabafse (not shown) and su porting a main tub-e zjfor supplying water we sprinkle "tube 3"viasuitable number of branch lines "4 interconnecting tubes'zand 3. Main tIlbe'Zis'ClfiSedj tbn'ef'nd which is 'jo rnauedfin a bearing 5 mounted in frame I. At 'its o" o'site end'niaintube"? "by means of a stuffing; ox'fi'mountedin'fraihe lis connected to a line'l"for'supplying"watrunder pressure toin'ain tube 2 and's'prinkler'tubeevia branch lines 4. Line "(is provided'with a throttle valve 8 "adaptedtobe automatically controlled in amanner hereinafter deS'cr'ibedJandalso with a regulating valve 9i or adjusting the water p'res sure in sprinkler tube 31't'o proper value. p n From the foregoing it "appears that sprinkler tube 3 b'y'means of brarich'linesi and main-tube 2 "is suspended as" p nauium-m rrame I. For

driving saidpendulum I use a hydraulic pow'e'r unit comprising a cylinder l2 to which water under pressure-is supplied via a line H provided with a regulating valve H) and branched from main line 1 posterior to throttle valve '8. CyIi ntier 1-2 is carried by frame 5 -by means'of a bracket !'3 and a piston (not shown) mounted therein is provided with a rod 14 pivoted to 'a lever 15 which at its outerend carries a counterbalance weight it and is secured to -'main tube 2.

In theenibodiment shown theautomatic control device for throttle valve 8 comprises a scoop I tamed by a lever l8 mounted for rotation on astu'd E9 projecting from throttle'valve -8. Scoop t? is counterbalanced by means of a weight 20 mounted ona lever 2| secured to lever l-fi a'rid shiftable along lever 2! between two suitable spaced stop members 22 and 23. -Mounted'on lever is are two adjustable screws 24, 2'5 and a 'iixed stud '26, these --members being adapted to cooperate with a forked member- 2? secured to spindle 3a of throttle valve 8, in a manner hereinafter fully described. Associated withsco'op ll is a filling trough 28 to which water is supplied by a continuously open pipe '29 having a regulating valve 36 (Fig. 2) and branched from supply line l at a-point anterior to throttle valve 8. As may'be seen irom Fig. '3 the bent-over dis charge end of line 29 is situated above filling trough 28 when the latter is in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 3 and-denoted-by c. Associated'with scoop i? is an outlet witha regulating valve 3| for the water supplied to scoop from filling trough 28.

The apparatus described operates as follows: Assuming that valve 8 is closed, scoop I1 is beingfilledfrom filling trough 28 in position 0 and sprinkler tubes is in position a then during the course of the filling of scoop I? the latter overbalances counterweight 28 situated at stop member 22 and initiates a slow turning movement of scoop ll. -During this'movement the Water in filling trough 28 is turned out into scoop H whereby the turning movement thereof is accelerated; In the continuation of the turning of scoop l'l weight 29'slides inwards-towards and into engagement with stop member ZS whereby the moment ofweight-Zi! with respect-to stud t9 decreasesso that the turningmovement of scoop I'l-is stillmore accelerated.

During the course of the descending movement of scoop ll above described'pin' 26 on lever lflenter's the forked member n-and is pressed against the lower leg "thereofwh'ereby 56 spindle ea is rotated thereby opening valve *8;

In the open position of valve 8 water under pressure is supplied both to sprinkler tube 3 and to the hydraulic cylinder I2 which causes sprinkler tube 3 to swing slowly to position b while cleaning the strainer member diagrammatically shown at S. When sprinkler tube 3 reaches position b scoop I1 is empty and weight 20 is now able to swing scoop I1 upwards, pin 26 then acting upon the upper shorter leg of forked member 21 whereby the closing move: ment of throttle valve 8 is initiated and there after completed by screw 25 acting upon an extension 32 of forked member 21'. Scoop I7 is thus restored to position'fc and during this restoring movement weight 26 slides outwards into engagement with stop member 22.

Water under pressure being no longer supplied to sprinkler tube 3 and cylinder l2 the former is returned from position b to position a by means of counterweight Hi, the water in cylinder I2 being then discharged through line H and sprinkler tube 3. When sprinkler tube 3 has been restored to position fa the cleaning apparatus has completed its cycle of operation which is then automatically repeated in the manner described.

From the foregoing it may be seen that by my invention I have provided a cleaning apparatus in which both the supply of water for the cleanin'g operation and the swinging movement of the sprinkler tube are effected periodically and properly coordinated. Besides, my improved apparatus for its operation need only be connected to an existing source of water under pressure. Finally, the duration of the cleaning periods and the intervals therebetween may be regulated to suit all requests met in practise simply by adjusting valves in, 39 and 3 I.

Although only one form of the invention has been described it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the apparatus illustrated but the latter may be modified in many respects without departing from the principle of the invention.

I What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning strainer members comprising in combination a sprinkler tube suspended as a pendulum, a source of water under pressure, connections between said source and said'sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device operably connected with said valve comprising a swingable scoop, a counterweight for counterbalancingsaid scoop, means for supplying water to said scoop to cause it to overbalance its counterweight and swing downwardly and thereby open said valve for supplying water to said sprinkler tube, a hydraulic power unit actuated by water from said valve for swinging said sprinkler tube over said strainer member to clean the latter by water discharged from said sprinkler tube, the downward swinging of said scoop causing it to tip and discharge the water contained therein, whereupon the counterweight swings the scoop upwardly and closes said valve so as to cut oil the supply of water to said sprinkler tube.

2. An apparatus for cleaning strainer members comprising'in combination a sprinkler tube suspended as. a pendulum, a source of water un- 4 der pressure, connections between said source and said sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device operably connected with said valve comprising a swingably mounted scoop having a counterweight, means for supplying water to. said scoop to cause it to overbalance its counterweight and swing downwardly and thereby open said valve for supplying water to said sprinkler tube, said supply means comprising a filling trough secured to said scoop and adapted to discharge its contents into said scoop in the initial descending movement thereof to accelerate the further downward swinging movement of said scoop, and a hydraulic power unit actuated by water from said valve for swinging said sprinkler tube over said strainer member to clean the latter by water discharged from said sprinkler tube, the downward swinging of said scoop causing it to tip and discharge the water contained therein, whereupon the counterweight swings the scoop upwardly and closes said valve so as to cut oil the supply of water to said sprinkler tube.

3. An apparatus for cleaning strainer members comprising in combination a sprinkler tube sus-' pended as a pendulum, a source of water under pressure, connections between said source and said sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device for said valve, comprising a swingable lever, a scoop supported by said lever, counterweight for counterbalancing said scoop slidably mounted on said lever, means for supplying water to said scoop to cause it to swing downwardly and thereby open said valve for supplying water to said sprinkler tube, said means comprising a filling trough secured to said scoop and adapted to discharge its contents into said scoop in the initial descending move ment thereof to accelerate the further downward swinging movement of said scoop in response to which said weight is caused to slide on said lever for decreasing its movement as compared with that of said scoop to further accelerate the downward swinging movement of said scoop, and a hydraulic power unit actuated by water from said Valve for swinging said sprinkler tube over said strainer member to clean the latter by Water discharged from said sprinkler tube, the downward swinging of said scoop causing it to tip and discharge the water contained therein, whereupon the counterweight swings the scoop upwardly and closes said valve so as to out on the supply of water to said sprinkler tube. V

4. An apparatus for cleaning strainer members comprising in combination a sprinkler tube suspended as a pendulum, a source of water under pressure, connections between said source and said sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device for said valve comprising a swingable scoop, a counterweight for counterbalancing said scoop, means for supplying water to said scoop to cause it to swing downwardly and thereby open said valve for supplying water to said tube, an adjustable outlet for said scoop for discharging the contents of said scoop to allow the latter to rise under the influence of its counterweight, thereby moving said valve towards closed position, and thus stop the supply of water to the sprinkler tube.

5. An apparatus for cleaning strainer mem bers comprising in combination a sprinkler tube suspended as a pendulum, a source of water under pressure, connections between said source and said sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device for said valve comprising a swingable scoop, a counterweight for counterbalancing said scoop, means for supplying water to said scoop to cause it to swing downwardly and tip and discharge and then swing upwardly under the influence of the counterweight, a forked member associated with said valve, a member movable with said scoop and adapted to alternately engage the respective legs of said forked member to move said valve towards open position to supply water to the sprinkler tube and to closed position to shut off the water supply to the sprinkler tube.

6. An apparatus for cleaning strainer members comprising in combination a sprinkler tube suspended as a pendulum, a source of water under pressure, connections between said source and said sprinkler tube, a valve in said connections, an automatic control device for said valve comprising a swingable scoop, a counterweight for counterbalancing said scoop, means for supplying water to said scoop to cause it to swing downwardly and tip and discharge and then return upwardly under the influence of the counterweight, a forked member associated with said valve, a member movable with said scoop and adapted to alternately engage the respective legs of said forked member to move said valve towards open and closed position respectively, and a second member movable with said scoop and connected to operate said valve at the end of the upward movement of said scoop to shut off said valve and shut off the supply of water to the sprinkler tube.

STEN ESKIL EINARSSON AHLFORS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,075 Franke Dec. 19, 1893 1,142,223 Andrews June 8, 1915 1,224,095 Roberts et a1 Apr. 24, 1917 1,387,165 Norton Aug. 9, 1921 2,216,154 Blaschke Oct. 1, 1940 2,442,498 Kooken June 1, 1948 

